Refrigerating apparatus



May 26, 1925.

A. H. HUTCHINSON REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 19, 1924 firm w J W y w w Patented May 26, 1925.

1,539,047 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECEW ARTHUR H. HUTCHINSON, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 19, 1924. Serial No. 7G7,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. HUTCHIN- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the; county of Fulton and State of Georgia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. i

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerating apparatus and more particularly .to an improvement of the type of apparatus employing partially submerged ice cans in the commercial production of ice and wherein the use of air in agitating the water ofthe can while freezing to prevent formation of white ice is resorted to.

It is well known to those familiar with the art that in apparatus of this character itis necessary to employ dehydrated air in the feed system for the reason that otherwise the moisture of the air would freeze withinthe pipes, due to the low temperature to which they are subjected, resulting in the cutting 0d of the air and accordingly in the formation of white ice in the cans. It is further well known that air which has been passed through cold water is dehydrated and it is, therefore, an important object of this invention to conduct the air which has already been passed through the water of the cans back to the blower feedingthe water to the drop pipes or corner pipes. of the can, whichever may be em ployed for use, thus eliminating the necessity for a dehydrating apparatus in the line. c

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a feed and return line so constructed and operated that the return line forms a support for an air hose leading from the feed line to the air pipe of the can when not inuse.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character in: which the air from the air pipes is" fed through the return pipe to the blower when the device is not in use, thus preventing the loss of any considerable amount of air or the intake into the system through the openings of the return pipe of any appreciable amount of undehydrated air.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve the construction of the type of frame-Work employed abovethe brine tanks in this type of refrigerating apparatus to render the same less likely struction in accordance with'my invention,

the cover being removed; 7

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus with the cover in place; F

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the T employed for attaching the air hoses to the feed pipe; o

Figure 4- is aside elevation of the elbows employed at the free ends of the air hoses forconnecting the same with the air pipes or with the exhaust pipe;

Figure 5 is a perspective of the plate employed for supporting the pipes and maintaining the partitions 12 in position.

Referring now more particularly to the di awings, the numeral 10 indicates main division girders arranged. within the upper surface of the brinetank (not shown) and preferably extend longitudinally of the brine tank. Arranged between adjacent girders 10 are supplemental division girders 1'1 paralleling the girders 10 but having their upper surfaces arranged below the plane of the upper surface of the girders 10.v The space between girders l0 and adjacent girdersll is subdivided into can spaces by transverse partitions 12 each having one end thereof .let into the main girder as indicated at 13. As a means of attaching the adjacent ends of partitions 12 abutting opposite sides of intermediate girders 11, I provide spaced plates 14: abutting opposite sides of adjacent ends of the plates 12 and resting at their lower ends upon the upper surfaces of the girders 11. These plates arelield together by bolts or other securing means, indicated at 15, and tend to prevent any movement of the partitions '12 which would destroy the same I Each pair of plates 14 is provided in its lower edge with a notch 16 and in its upper edge with a notch 17 Seated upon the upper surface of the intermediate girders are conduits 18 leading to the intake of-a blower as indicated, the blower not being herein disclosed. These conduits extend through the notches 16 and are held in position upon the upper surface of the girders 11 by the plates 14. The upper notches 1'? of a second conduit 19 parallel the conduit 18, this conduit communicating with the exhaust of the blower. The plates 14 are of sufficient length that the conduits 18 and 19 having a space therebetween permitting communication between adjacent can compartments C disposed at opposite sides of the girders 11.

To theunder surface of the pipe or conduit 19, preferably approximately midway of its length,--between adjacent transverse partitions 12 a T 20 is connected to the outlets of which are connected air hoses 21 each having an L 22 at its free end, the outlet end ofthe -L being provided with a tapered exterior as shown at 23. In the upper surface of the pipe or conduit 18 tapered openings 24 are formed corresponding in numb-er to the air hoses and having the taper of the openings such that the nozzle of the L fits snugly therein. It will, of course, be under stood that the drop pipe P employed in the can will be formed at its upper end to receive this same nozzle. I

In the use of my apparatus, when the cans have been placed in position in the compartments C at'opposite sides of the the lesser partitions 11, the air hoses 21 have their nozzles 23 disengaged from the openings 24 of the pipe 18 and engaged with the drop pipes of their respective cans. The cover. of the compartments C is then applied. At this time in operation air will be forced from the pipes 19, through the air'hoses 21, to the air pipes of the tanks and leaving these air pipes will agitate the water in passing upwardly through the water and collect beneath the coverplate of the compartments C, from which point it will be withdrawn through the openings 24 into the conduit 18 to be returned to the blower. hen the freezing is completed the cover plates of the compartments are .removed, the air hoses 21 disengaged from the air pipes of thetanks and engaged in the openings 24. It willbe obvious that this operation will take but a very short time and there will accordingly be but a very small amount of outside air drawn into the pipe 18 before the air hoses are engaged therewith. It will furthermore be noted that these air pipes when engaged in the openings 24 will be positioned in the pipes 18 and 19 and accordingly not in the way of the ice tanks as they are removed from the brine. It will be obvious that the construction herein illustrated is capable of a considerable range ofchangc and modification without materially departing from the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure as herein before set forth claimed.

I claim 1. In ice making apparatus having compartments for the reception of water tanks, the water tanks each being provided with an air pipe, the compartments being provided with covers, a pair of conduits associated with each tank, one of said conduits being connected'with the exhaust andthe other with the intake of a blower, an air hose connected at one end to the first named conduit and having its opposite end engageable with the air pipe of the water tank, the last named conduit having an opening communicating'with the compartment beneath thecover thereof, the last named end of the air hose being engageable in said opening. I

2. A division structure for ice tanks com prising parallel main division girders, intermediate girders disposed between and paralleling the main girders and having their upper surfaces disposed in a plane bee neath the plane of the upper surfaces of the main girders, a conduit resting upon the upper surface of each intermediate girder, transverse partitions let into the main and intermediate girders and having their upper surfaces flush with the upper surface of the main girders, plates resting at their lower ends upon the intermediate girders and clampingly engaging adjacent ends of the upper portions of the transverse partitions, said plates'being provided in their lower ends with notches permitting the passage of said conduit, said plates being provided in their upper edges with notches receiving a second conduit and supporting the same above and in spaced relation to the. first named conduit.

3. A dehydrated air feeding system for the air pipes ofthe water cans of refrigerating apparatus comprising a can compartment having a removable cover at its upper end, conduits leading to and from a blower conimunicatingwith the compartment, the communication of the conduit leading to the compartment with the compartment includ ing a flexible hose havingat its free end means for engaging it withthe air pipe of the can to direct air therethrough, thecommunication of the other conduit with the compartment comprising an opening formed in the conduit in which the means for engaging with the air pipe are engageable.

4. A division structure for ice tanks comprising parallel main division girders, intermediate girders disposed between and paralexcept as hereinafter =leling the main girders and having their upper surfaces disposed'in a plane beneath the plane of the upper surfaces of the'main girders, a conduit disposed above the upper surface of each intermediate girder, transverse partitions let into the main and intermediate girders and having their upper surfaces flush with the upper surface of the main girders, plates resting at their lower ends upon the intermediate girders and clampingly engaging adjacent ends of the upper portions of the transverse partitions, said conduit extending through said plates.

5. A division structure for ice tanks comprising parallel main division girders, intermediate girders disposed between and paralleling the main girders and having their upper surfaces disposed in a plane beneath the plane of the upper surfaces of the main girders, a conduit disposed above the upper surface of each intermediate girder, transverse partitions extending between the main and the intermediate girders and secured to each thereof, the upper surfaces of said transverse partitions being arranged in a plane above the upper surfaces of theintermediate girders and means supported from the intermediate girders securing together adjacent ends of the upper portions of the transverse partitions and providing a support for said conduit.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature.

ARTHUR H. I'IUTCHINSON. 

